When Germany invades Holland in May 1940, 13-year-old Samuel De Souza is given a forged passport, put on a ship in the care of two elderly strangers and smuggled out from under the nose of the Nazis. Arriving in England, the young Jewish boy has the prospect of seeing out the war in relative safety, surrounded by newfound friends and with the love of Jannie, one of the older men who has become Sam's mentor and guide. When Sam meets and falls in love with Annie, it would seem his life is finally set fair, but, enraged by what is happening to his homeland, his people and by the death of Annie's mother when a German aircraft casually attacks their farm, he lies about his age and joins the Royal Navy.
Staying in touch with Jannie, he discovers how much he is sustained by the love of this old man, a powerful force of humanity across cultures.
Fair winds and calm seas are soon replaced by the heat of battle in dangerous waters as Sam De Souza takes a stand against the regime intent on exterminating him and his kind.
A story of love, honour, duty and bravery inspired by real events.
The love of an old man is like a flower in winter
Portuguese proverb
While a student at Portsmouth Technical College, David was tempted to follow his heart and become a writer. Instead, having been brought up in a service family, duty called and he joined the Royal Navy as a seaman officer.In 1971 he left the Senior Service to pursue his other dream - of becoming a professional civilian sailor. Hard years followed before he was sufficiently experienced and qualified to captain groups of young Londoners on adventurous sailing voyages in a traditional old Norwegian sailing rescue ship. In 1977 David was recruited to run Ocean Youth Club, Britain's largest sail training fleet. In 1985 he was head-hunted by the Drake Fellowship which he soon merged with Fairbridge to create Fairbridge-Drake. This became the UK's most effective motivational training charity for unemployed young people in inner cities.David eventually left London for West Cornwall, where, at the age when most people retire, his wife suggested opening a bookshop. They transformed a local tea-room into a much-loved café and second-hand bookshop where David started writing poetry again, publishing Any Cornish Beach in 2009.David relished the solitude imposed by the Covid lockdown and began to write his first novel, A Flower in Winter.
